Well it’s been a while since I posted up here on the blog.  I took some time off, and you know what?  It felt so good!  I really relaxed and enjoyed the holidays this year.  The past few years I feel like I didn’t even get to participate in the holidays with running around here and there, working full time and starting my photography business, commuting, no vacation days, etc, etc.  I am so glad I took this time to relax, recharge, spend time with family without feeling rushed to get home and beat the traffic because I have to work the next day.  I even visited with an old friend in DC.  This time away from work has been so good for me and I am ready to start this new year and see what it has in store for me.

I’ve been compiling a mental list of things I would like to do this year, not resolutions really, but some goals(personal and business) that I would like to accomplish.  Last year I starting writing monthly goals up here on my blog, however when I got really busy in the fall that quickly fell to the wayside.  I hope to keep this up for 2012 starting with February.  I have a few goals I would like to accomplish this year but I’m in no rush, nor do they have to be completed in one particular month:

• Go on a much needed vacation, I mean not a staycataion, a real get-on-a-plane-and-don’t-think-about-work-or-the-house VACATION.  We have one planned to Cali in March and I CANNOT WAIT!  If you have any recommendations on what to do while we are there please leave them in the comment section below- we will be in the OC(all I can think about is the show by the same name on the WB), and LA staying with 2 different friends who we cannot wait to see.  We love food, restaurants, beach, walks, people watching things to do.  Oh and wineries to visit:)
• Paint ALL the rooms in our house, including our master which I have no idea what color to pick?  Every other room was so easy for me to decide on a color, I’m not sure why I’m so stumped here.  I have removed the wallpaper and painted the kitchen and I am currently in the middle and I mean middle of painting the guest room- the paint is drying as I type.  Blog posts coming on these 2 rooms soon.
• Prime and paint the risers on the stairs.
• Buy a Mac book- hopefully before June when I travel to Cancun!
• Buy a 2nd camera body so I can stop renting one
• Clean out my closet/dresser and organize everything and donate anything I haven’t worn in the past year- which is a lot of clothes!
• More the really heavy armoire to the guest room once it’s finished being painted and re-organize the master bedroom furniture
• Buy a bedside table for the master bedroom
• Book 4 more weddings
• Take Sundays(if I’m not shooting) and Mondays totally off from work- meaning no checking email either- and spend it with family and friends doing something we love.  This one will be particularly hard for me.
• Use facebook for marketing and furthering my business and only check it 2 times a day- once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  I was procrastinating waaayyyy too much on there this past year!  Need to make a schedule and stick to it.
• Start to exercise
• Set up a slideshow for every client for viewing during their ordering session
• Continue to blog 3 times a week(or more)
• Take more photos of Chris and I- shooting for 1 a month to post on the blog.  A year long project I want to try- hoping Chris is on board with this one:)
• Turn off the computer at 6pm- the workday is over
• Set up off camera lighting
• Read more books for fun and business

What are some of your 2012 goals that you would like to accomplish?  Leave them in the comment section I would love to read them!

I find writing these goals down really helps me focus on what I want to do and putting it out there into internet world holds me accountable(at least in my mind).  I will be curious to re-read this post at the end of the year.

Since a blog post needs a photo, here’s a new baby to ring in the new year and new beginnings for everyone!  More of her cuteness on the blog later this week.